Always Practice Safe Hex (Stay a Spell, #4)

by Juliette Cross

There was no doubt that my darkness recognized something evil inside this man. And if he didn’t keep his hands off Lavinia, I was going to fucking kill him.

I was sitting back in my chair, one arm draped on the table, tapping a finger on the table in a slow, rhythmic tempo. I was also trying to calm the burning desire to throw Richard through the wall of windows and listen to the pleasant sound of his terrified yell as he plummeted to the street far below. Murder was a bit much this early in the morning. Even for this prick. Time to set him straight.

“The data I collect is procured from my own software. It isn’t illegal.” Not at this point anyway.

“You know, stop giving Richard murderous looks like you’re about to choke him.” She was close, I’ll give her that. I’d been contemplating something more bloody, like dismemberment. But choking was a pleasant thought.

the door opened and someone walked in behind me. Lavinia. Her hypnotic scent was so embedded in me, I could detect her from a mile away.

“Care to grab a bite at Daisy Dukes?” I asked, wanting to explore our earlier conversation in the copy room. Truth be known, I also wanted to stoke her fire the way she’d done mine. I liked her games. I wanted to play with her.

room. I was aware that my obsession was borderline neurotic. Still, I couldn’t control myself. A very uncomfortable feeling for me.

I need your undivided attention when you insult me.”

I’d requested another song right after this one, “I Melt with You” by Modern English. But that wasn’t what melded into the final notes of “Strangelove.” The crowd slowed its rhythm to move to the sensual tempo of “Lullaby” by the Cure.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

“Are you the spiderman?” I asked, our breaths mingling, mouths inches apart. “No, Lavinia.” He shook his head then dipped closer to me. I was sure he would kiss me, but he skimmed his nose along my jaw until his lips brushed my ear. “You are,” he grated, biting my lobe. “And I’m so fucking caught in your web.”

I needed more than what I could do to her on the dance floor of my own club.

YOUR WHAT!?!!?!?!?!?!?!??!!?? GARETH I KNEW I LOVED YOU

“You know the owner of this place or something?” “Or something.”

Im in love with him

In the club, my DJ, Bentley, had put on the second song I’d asked him to, disrupting whatever was on the wait list. I’d planned to be singing this one to her on the dance floor, not realizing I’d have her on my sofa. “I Wanna Be Your Slave” by Maneskin pumped through the monitors and the walls. And fuck if it wasn’t so sadly true.

I AM GOING INTO CARDIAC ARREST

“You’re trying to fucking kill me, aren’t you?” I whispered.

Grinning, I let her wrists go and rose to my knees to straddle her, but I held her arms in place with my TK. She tugged but couldn’t move. “Holy shit.” Her expression tightened in wonder and more arousal.

The way i would FOLD

This wasn’t something I’d planned to reveal, but I also couldn’t control my instincts to overpower her using all of my skills and assets. But only if she wanted me to.

CONSENT RESPECTING KING

“So perfect.”

“No topping from the bottom,” I warned,

“Dangerous woman.”

“You are the goddess,” I rumbled against her skin, scraping my jaw against the silken softness, then I captured her gaze, “And I am your slave.”

……i am not a strong woman i would fold so fast (but also pity him)

What the hell had come over me? I never said things like that to a woman. If anything at all, it was things such as just like that or harder or open wider. Never words of worship. But this woman was unraveling me, second by second. Moan by moan.

spoke to some primal part of me. I had to focus to keep from letting the darkness out. That demon wanted to wrap her up and keep her for fucking ever.

DO IT DEMON DO IT

“Fucking hell, woman.” With a hand at her nape, I pulled her mouth back to mine so I could taste her a little longer. I couldn’t seem to keep my mouth off her body.

She was driving me to delicious madness.

I wanted to inhale her like a drug and stay high forever.

I didn’t want to frighten her with the thoughts going round in my head. There was no fucking way that our affair ended after this. This was just the beginning.

I couldn’t help the grin cracking my normally cool façade. I think I’d smiled more in the last hour than I had all of last month.

“Are you dangerous?” she whispered, eyes dark as midnight as she clasped her slender white fingers around my wrists. “To you?” I brushed my mouth against hers again, holding her gaze. “Never.” Couldn’t say the same for everyone else.

“Take the time you need to settle this in your mind, Lavinia,” I told her with sincere earnest. “But know this. I won’t stop until I have you in my bed.” And then I’d never let her leave. She had me utterly bewitched. Body and soul. I couldn’t walk away.

DR DARCY IF HE WAS SPOICY

She didn’t only tempt me, but my monster as well. A creature that should never be unleashed and should never be fed. I blew out a breath in the cool night air, knowing I’d better keep the reins on him choke-hold tight. Because one thing was for certain. There was no way I was giving up Lavinia.

I hadn’t seen or talked to her since last night. My body thrummed with tension, craving just the sight of her. I wanted to look in her eyes and see if there was any regret there. Or perhaps longing.

my attention was solely riveted on the raven-haired goddess walking across the room toward the set.

my instincts told me I was right. And I’d never been wrong yet.

I was going to kill him if I didn’t walk away. Not figuratively. I was going to literally dismantle his skull and force the bone fragments inward till his brain turned to jelly.

I had my suspicions, but I needed proof. Until then, I had to keep him the fuck away from my woman.

I figured after he saw this swimsuit I’d spent this morning cutting and adjusting just for him, he’d stick around a little longer.

“You wore this swimsuit for me.” I made it for you. “Maybe.” He smiled, and my world tilted.

“Why’d you leave the studio?” “So that I wouldn’t kill Richard.” I laughed. He didn’t. “Are you being serious?” “Deadly.”

“Even knowing about the supernatural world, I never believed in monsters.” I took a small step toward him. “Then they created Twitter.” His mouth quirked on one side, even while he remained statue-still, watching me carefully as I eased closer.

But this seemed more urgent. Something was up. And while my mind pondered what it could be, it immediately drifted back to that fine grim reaper with a hot mouth and hotter kisses. How could I ever have thought him cold? I’d be lucky to not spontaneously combust the next time he touched me. Funny thing was…I was more than happy to test that theory. More than willing to burn.

Devraj stared at Isadora like she was an angel fallen from heaven while he combed his fingers through her long, blonde hair.

Was it wise to let my heart fall for someone who might very well end up breaking it?

“You know, something I learned in my relationship with Nico is to never put labels on people’s potential prematurely.”

“When did you figure all that out? When the Blood Moon pack kidnapped you?” “Kidnapped is kind of harsh.” “They knocked you out and took you by force. That is literally the definition of kidnapping.” “Yeah. But they didn’t mean it.”

“You’re right. It’s no big deal,” I lied. “That’s my girl. Go get you some grim dick.”

I glanced at Violet wrapped in Nico’s arms, her head against his chest. I exhaled a long breath, refusing to second guess my decision about Gareth. Because by lying to my sister, I’d certainly made it. In that moment, I knew for certain that it was too late to turn back. My heart was already involved. And I wasn’t going to walk away because of fear of the unknown. I just had to get Gareth to trust me enough to let me in. Though I wasn’t a gambling girl, I knew exactly what it would take for him to trust me. And damn, didn’t that image inspire a heady dose of desire. All I could do was ask, and all he had to do was say no. My pulse skyrocketed at the thought of him saying yes. I couldn’t wait to find out.

“Oh, hell no, Gareth Michael. You go put him right back in the car.”

Why do i fucking love that name

I took a seat in the rocker next to the table and reached over to pet the orange Maine Coon cat now perched next to Uncle George’s urn. “Hi, there, Apollo.” I gave the lion-looking cat a scratch on his head. He allowed it with an imperious look and a heavy blink of his orange eyes. “Where are Hera and Persephone?” “Hunting, I presume. They like to bring Apollo dead mice and squirrels, proving their value as his concubines.” Smiling against the lip of the glass, I swallowed a sip before saying, “Aren’t they all fixed?” She huffed a laugh. “That don’t make no difference. He still thinks he’s king of the castle, and they still court him with dead rodents and such.”

I love you aunt lucille and your cats and your cats names and how they act like mine LMAO

“Now then, why don’t you tell me about this girl?” I flinched. “What girl?” “The one you’re all smitten with. The one that makes you smile. That’s a rare occasion indeed for my Gareth.” She chuckled, her plump cheeks rosy. “Lord, even when you were little, it took a lot of coaxing to get you to smile. But someone has been doing a number on you, I can tell. So stop stalling and tell me about her.”

“Her name is Lavinia.” I was aware how I spoke her name. With reverence and awe. And hope.